Consumer Spending Rises a Bit

Incomes Climb Solidly, but Stronger Economic Growth Faces Headwinds

Consumers boosted their spending only modestly in August, the latest sign of the U.S. economy struggling to gain steam as worries about government policies cloud the outlook.

Personal consumption, a broad measure of spending on everything from refrigerators to health care, rose 0.3% in August from a month earlier, the Commerce Department said Friday. Adjusted for inflation, spending climbed 0.2%.